PEOPLE mark milestone birthdays with all sorts of celebrations but few have set themselves a challenge like Anna Thubron.

To celebrate turning 50, Anna announced to friends and family that she was going to run a marathon. Every day.

For a month. Throughout May this year, the mum-of-four pulled on her trainers every morning and over 31 days ran an astonishing 812 miles.

To put the distance into context, it is the equivalent of running from London to Barcelona in Spain. Her journey took her all across the UK, from Wales to Windsor. Anna explains that she wanted to mark her 50th in a way she would never forget.

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“My friends and family thought I was mad when I told them about marathon May,” says Anna, who lives in Wendover, Buckinghamshire with husband Neil, 50, and their children Alice and Rebecca, both 20, Jack, 18, and 17-year-old Holly.

“But I wanted to prove to myself that I could do something amazing if I put my mind to it.”

Anna works as a personal trainer so is naturally fit and had run a marathon before. However she knew that her plan was ambitious in the extreme. Running one marathon puts immense pressure on the joints and heart, so 31 was always going to be incredibly challenging.

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In total the mum ran 812 miles in 31 days

“I was nervous about how I would cope. I didn’t know if I’d want to keep going or even if I’d be able to.

I’d told everyone I was going to do it so I couldn’t back out

Runner Anna Thubron

“The good thing was that I didn’t have any expectations. If I ran, walked, or crawled, it didn’t matter – I just had to finish.”

Anna began training in January, combining running with gruelling sessions at the gym. She planned 31 different routes around the country and ran her first marathon on May 1 in the New Forest.

“I had butterflies,” she says.

“But I’d told everyone I was going to do it so I couldn’t back out.”

Over the next four weeks and three days Anna ran through all weathers from torrential rain to blazing sunshine.

“During one race I had to be carried over a huge puddle that was blocking my path to save my trainers,” she says.

Despite her determination, it wasn’t all plain sailing.

“When running near Wendover, I tripped and went flying down a canal bank. I grabbed on to a bunch of stinging nettles to stop myself plunging headfirst into the water,” she says.

“The pain was intense but I got up and carried on. I never wanted to give up.”

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The longest marathon took 7hrs and 30mins and was run in the Black Mountains\

Anna ate a high-protein diet to keep her muscles intact but days of running quickly took their toll on her body.

“I had blisters all over my feet, in fact I don’t think my feet will ever look the same,” she says.

“I lost all my toenails, cut my knees to shreds falling over and even got run over by my friend’s bike.”

When the going got really tough, Anna’s family and friends were by her side, determined to keep her on track.

“Neil ran six of the marathons with me and my daughter Alice met me every eight to 10 miles with iced tea and sweets.”

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The inspirational mother ran through torrential rain and simmer heat to achieve her goal

Anna’s fastest marathon was 4hrs 25mins and her slowest, through the Black Mountains in Wales, was 7hrs 30mins. After completing her challenge, crossing the finish line on Wendover High Street was an emotional moment for her.

She raised more than £5,000 for Humanity Direct (humanitydirect.org), a charity providing medical care for children in Somalia and Uganda.

“Lots of people were there to greet me,” she says.

“I was overwhelmed, happy and weirdly sad it was all over.”

Anna then went on a well-earned holiday to Bermuda. But as soon as she arrived the physical effects of her epic challenge hit her. “My legs seized up and I was in quite a lot of pain,” she says.

“I was exhausted but I went for a few gentle walks on the beach and recovered quickly.”

Anna is now planning her next challenge.

“At first I said ‘never again’ but I’ve now set myself the challenge of running 56 marathons in 56 days, a feat that could win me a place in The Guinness Book Of Records. “So who knows, maybe next year I’ll make the history books?”